Robert Schneider: Ten Songs That Influenced My New Album

These are the top 10 songs that directly influenced my new marbles album, Expo-- some of which are in heavy rotation in my car stereo; some of which I loved when I was a little kid and heard in a supermarket for the first time in years in a supermarket or club or somewhere and had a cosmic experience. But anyway, it you like this list you'll probably like the new Marbles record.

1. ELO: "Turn to Stone" When I started recording Expo, I told my friends I wanted it to sound like ELO played by Gary Numan recorded in my living room. This song is the ELO element I was going for-- flanged intro, orchestral hooks, robotic rhythms, dissonant fadeout, this song has it all.

2. Gary Numan: "Cars" Human drummer, flanged tambourine, and my favorite synthesized strings ever. This fucking song has been playing constantly in my mind for like 20 years. I'm not shitting you. When I first started getting into music I figured out how to play the main synthesizer riff. It was the first song I ever learned. Somehow it got burned into my brain synapses permanently. It just plays in the background of my thoughts all the time, every waking moment that I'm not making music myself. It used to drive me crazy when I was a kid. I tried to exorcise it on Expo but the song is still there. I just ignore it like most of the other stuff that goes on in my head.

3. the Cars: "Just What I Needed" On the one hand, the Cars had killer synthesizer leads; on the other hand, the guitars rock out. The rhythm guitar on the chorus kicks my ass.

4. Brian Eno: "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More" Catchy pop song within a strange backing track. Funny, surreal lyrics. The production is super hip and understated, like he has something up his sleeve. The drum sound totally rules. I love the way Eno turns the fucked up stuff really really loud in the mix.

5. When in Rome: "The Promise" I heard this song on a jukebox a year ago and almost wept. I hadn't heard it since I was a kid. The melody is so pretty and the lead vocal is so sincere and romantic. I love the pulsing synthesizers. This is such classic pop songwriting. That was awesome that they put this song at the end of Napoleon Dynamite.

6. Phoenix: "If I Ever Feel Better"Expo is a lot more pop than Apples in stereo records. I mean like in a Top 40 Radio sense of the word "pop." This song is not ashamed to sound like a total hit, and sort of gave me courage to explore my radio-listening childhood. The rhythm track is super tight.

7. Left Banke: "Walk Away Renee" The melody of this song is so timeless, and the sweet strings feel like clouds seen from an airplane. I've always hated violins because they either sound weepy or screechy or overly romantic like a perfume commercial or something. Aside from Mellotron violins that is, they sound perfect. I'd take Mellotron over real strings any day. But anyway I really like the string arrangement of this song.

9. Michael Jackson: "Billie Jean" Even though Expo doesn't really have much r&b on it, the dry drum sound and synth bass on Thriller inspired the feel of most rhythm tracks on my record.

10. Hall and Oates: "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" The falsetto vocal in the pre-chorus section is really pure and a beautiful melody. The use of the phrase "no can do" in the chorus is funny in an outdated slang kind of way, but also really punctuates the hook. And then they switch up the rhythm on it and throw you for a loop.